This invention is directed to and describes dry blended laundry detergents, typically of the home use type, and the materials so produced, containing unhydrated or partially hydrated hydratable salts. As classes, the carbonate-based and phosphate-based laundry detergents may be mentioned. These products, which contain unhydrated or partially hydrated hydratable salts, perform well and have been widely sold and accepted. However, when used in cold water (for example, wash water temperatures of 75.degree. F. or less), such dry blended detergents tend to form lumps in the wash water, which lumps are only slowly soluble. As a result, efficacy may be lost since the active ingredients are not fully in solution. In addition, lumps may sometimes be present at the completion of the washing process, giving cause for user concern.
It has been surprisingly discovered that this efficacy and lumping problem can be substantially eliminated by replacing the fine, granulated silicate powder normally used in dry blended detergent with a coarse, granular silicate powder.